Saturday, 21 February 2009

I had been so excited all week as my 3-monthly tune up was approaching. I knew I would do well as I had been picking up so many little things on a daily basis. At my workplace, I am beginning to hear people saying the odd sentences in the background.

Yesterday, I met Sarah, one of the Audiologists who I never met before. She tested the sounds by me pressing the button using my CI and hearing aid so she can update my audiogram and see if there was any change from the previous one. The result was at 15dB(HL) across the frequency range tested (250Hz – 4 kHz). I then did the same test as before (without lipreading) and my BKB score was 84% keywords correct. That had improved from 61% at 1 month post. I was so chuffed!!

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Last week, I wanted to find out more about the accessories for my CI make - COCHLEAR NUCLEUS FREEDOM so I attended a morning workshop to learn more. It was really interesting and I met other CI users who have the same model as me. We were given three pieces of equipment to test. First, we had fun trying out with an ipod/CD player. It was funny seeing others how they react when listening to music. I had been practising with my ipod for a little while and the types of music sound different compared to my other hearing aid. Secondly, we were asked to plug a cable to watch the video of Dr Dolittle. I found that difficult because the video player plays a hum in the background. As it was an American film, I could not understand Eddie Murphy because he was talking so fast plus there was a music background. Thirdly, I was given a go listening to the music player. They turned on various types of music, using the CI/cable or CI alone. I have found I would listen to the music without the cable. I am glad I attended because it gave me the chance to try things out and was able to learn more that I did not discover.

Later on in the afternoon, I attended another workshop called "Using Your Voice Well". It provided practical hints and tips on maintaining a healthy voice. The Speech Therapists gave us plenty of ideas to keep our voice sounding great and feeling comfortable. I realised that I must drink plenty of water and drink less caffeine!!